Many of our working poor and middle-class families are now struggling with the escalating and out-of-control costs of driving daily to their jobs, not realizing that the cost of gasoline has yet to be stabilized, even as the summer vacationing months also have not yet arrived. But there are still many more dollars and cents challenges facing St. Louis City and St. Louis County homeowners and apartment dwellers.
These challenged economic groups must still deal with a multitude of rising costs related to running a household – the natural gas and electric utilities, mortgages, groceries, health insurance premiums and prescription drugs, etc. They don’t need higher sewer bills.
Much of our sewer system is over 100 years old, including the 311 miles of sewers built before 1890. Another 500 or so miles are more than 80 years old.
When the St. Louis area endured unmerciful pounding of heavy rainfalls, sewer overflows have become part of the local news. Often what you don’t see eyeball to eyeball is human waste and other waste discharged into waterways that most likely run through local neighborhoods, unfortunately passing schools and playgrounds, which could create a major health hazard.
Experiencing unanticipated increases with work-related and personal expenses these days is par for the course, as one just has to continuously squirrel away as much extra income as possible, knowing full well that household budget overruns are lurking around the corner.
There is a huge expense that we all can avoid, especially if you’re facing a monthly MSD sewer bill as a homeowner or even a renter.
In June 2007, the State of Missouri and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Sewer District related to overflows in its wastewater collection system. In August 2011, the EPA announced a settlement agreement that calls for MSD to spend a whopping $4.7 billion over the next 23 years to eradicate over 350 sewer overflows.
There are two alternatives.
We can budget a monthly increase in our sewer bill beginning in July 2012 of $35.42, and dig deeper into our pocketbooks and wallets. An average monthly single-family wastewater bill of $28.73 will become $65.15 as of July 2015.
Or you can wisely save those dollars for other needed household expenses by merely going to the polls in St. Louis City or St. Louis County and voting “Yes” on Proposition Y. This ballot initiative will authorize the insurance of $945 million in bonds to help finance the next phase of work to address those awful sewer overflows. Then there are several other bond authorizations that will strengthen the accountability, transparency and efficiency of MSD’s day-to-day operations as part of the settlement.
The proposed MSD wastewater sewer system improvements will significantly reduce the number of sewage backups in residential basements. And as homeowners and renters we can avoid having our neighbors experience those awful smelly and the insurmountable personal loss of valuables we’ve always stored in the basement of our dwelling where we have historically depended on as a dry and safe environment.
If the Proposition Y ballot initiative fails, even a renter may not be able to escape those aforementioned outrageous increases. If the MSD sewer bill is included in your monthly multi-dwelling (apartment) rent expenses, you’ll be hit at the same time as the homeowners, even though the charges may vary.
I am encouraging you to go to the polls on Tuesday, June 5 and vote “Yes” on Proposition Y.
Buford is president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
